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Topic Review (Newest First)

04-11-2013 01:00 AM

MedSailor

Re: Harness and Tether Recommendations?

Great addition John, thanks for posting. Beth and Evans are absolutely among the best for really well thought out advice that you can adapt to your own circumstance.

Quoted from their post, I love how they explain how, not only to built the gear and gadgets part of the system, but HOW to EFFECTIVELY use it.

"When to Use
A command (skipper and watch captains) priority is to be clear when the crew will be clipped. There are four obvious situations when they should be. (1) when there is the possibility of solid green water on deck. That can wash off even someone with a firm grip on the boat. (2) when there is the possibility of more than say a 40 degree knock over. For instance, when you are encountering unusually shaped waves, as is typical in a current or over shallow water; or breaking waves on the beam; or in particularly squally or gusty conditions; or when pushing a chute very hard in a big breeze and waves downwind. (3) when working in a particularly unstable and vulnerable position, for instance, as is sometimes the case when working out on the pulpit with a moving spinnaker pole. And (4) when recovery of a MOB might be particularly slow or difficult – for instance at night with a minimal ’delivery’ crew on board. The key skill here is to recognize the possibilities of green water or hard knock-over or unstable situation well in advance, and not just react after the fact.

If you haven't read their books you really should. Most of the "how to sail around the world" books (and I've read over 200 of them) are focused on MY WAY IS THE BEST WAY. Beth Leonard's (of Beth and Evans) book is head and shoulders above all the others because it tells you what you should be thinking about, and how to make your own decisions. In fact the first few chapters in the book are about if you are mentally, emotionally and financially prepared, not anchor types and storm tactics. They also address the issues of "will you actually like the cruising lifestyle (as we found Glenn Damato did not).

Bottom line, I love their work and their book is better than the 200 others I've read by a wide magrin. Buy it, you won't regret it and even if you do, your money went to sailors who are trying to empower other sailors. The Voyager's handbook is a SOLID five stars.Beth and Evan's book "The Voyager's Handbook"

MedSailor

04-10-2013 08:25 PM

outbound

Re: Harness and Tether Recommendations?

Jon- thank you and logical. Will incorporate their suggestions.

04-10-2013 03:52 PM

joebeach

Re: Harness and Tether Recommendations?

Agreed - an excellent jackline primer. Thanks for posting....

04-10-2013 02:39 PM

JonEisberg

Re: Harness and Tether Recommendations?

Evans Starzinger just posted a first draft of his take on this subject over on CA...

As always from he and Beth, an excellent, informed analysis and recommendations...

I would like to put in a pitch for the humble foam type III pfd combined with a traditional webbing harness.

In hot climates, the foam PFDs may not be the best, but many of us sail in less than tropical conditions and I believe they offer the following advantages:

1: The foam PFD adds a lot of insulation and can easily be layered over, or under follies for added warmth.

2: The type III can not (realistically) malfunction with its primary purpose. Flotation. No triggering device to corrode, no bladder to puncture.

3: You can swim effectively in one of these, allowing you to participate in your own rescue.

4: They can be easily integrated with a traditional webbing harness at little expense. It doesn't take much imagination to figure out how to thread the harness though some of the Type III buckle loops and make your own combo PFD/harness at low cost.

5: The foam protects your ribs and vital organs from your harness. If you do take a huge fall onto your harness, the foam will help spread the load and prevent you from cracking ribs, or worse. Speaking of which, how well do those "one size fits all" inflatable harnesses fit you? If they're below the ribs you risk a ruptured spleen or lacerated liver.

6: The foam protects your ribs and vital organs from other falls. Tether falls notwithstanding you can easily fall on a pitching, wet deck and your torso may contact the deckhouse, cockpit seat, or even a winch. Again the foam padding may protect you.

7: Comfort. Sometimes I end up wedged in some uncomfortable part of the boat, especially when racing. I'm often curled up on my side on the rail, with a piece of deck hardware poking into my ribs, or leaning against stainless lifelines. The foam PFD makes these uncomfortable positions much more bearable.

As cool and space age as the sub $500 Spinlock harnesses look, give the good old type III and webbing harness a second look.

MedSailor

PS One makes an excellent point about wearing a helmet. Many sailors talk about (and spend extra money and maintenance time) trying to mitigate for the possibility of going overboard unconscious. Automatic inflation is the wrong approach, as I have outlined before.

Obviously not going overboard first is the most important step (tether) but since it may happen, instead of spending the money so that the unconscious (and likely drowned) victim floats, why not spend the money and effort on a helmet, so that he's not unconscious in the first place? If we really do fear this scenario (I don't), it seems like a much better mitigation strategy.

A dock-mate of mine (a neurosurgeon I believe)used to race his J-boat single handed. He always wore a helmet. The America's Cup cat racers are also wearing helmets now too.

Thanks for mentioning the foam PDF, it does have a place in a sailing. Some of them are ubercool looking and comfy to wear in the cooler days.

Helmet: I always want to wear one sailing in a heavy sea. We wear a helmet riding a bike, snow boarding, rock climbing, and etc. Why not in sailing.

Start us a thread when you get back and tell us about your BFS. Also, I really want to hear about your Cape Horn gear! Tell us all about how it worked (or didn't) when you get back.

MedSailor

For $3495.00, which is probably more than I could sell the boat for, I Better be able to sail off the dock in key West and right through the little cut on the east end of Guanaja with out touch'n my tiller! It's what Yves Told me it would do. I can say I've been impressed with his company, Him, his voyage and his customer service thus far. I've paid in full, in advance to expedite delivery so it should be waiting for me when I get off the tug 2 weeks from now. Then I have 2 weeks for the final prep, back on the tug for 2 weeks and depart May 9th, weather or not, wind or not, on the nose or not, we are leaving. I have 2 weeks to get there and back to the tug. I just bought an asym genny, and several sizes of head sails from 8 oz hanky on up. For those of you who have not done so, google a sat map of the Bay Islands, immages of Cayo Cochinos, and La Ceiba Shipyard, where I'll be storing the boat for a month while my dock in Guanaja is being repaired. Don't let all the Hype of dangerous locals keep this place off your cruising radar. But I digresss, back on track, we will be tied in on short leashes, watching the boat steer us. too short to go over the rail, which is how I've alway's done it any way's.

Ya, Stand By for that. Sadly it's a bucket list thing for him. He's very healthy and will no doubt be around for decades to come, like his parents and theirs. But long ( 6 day or more ) passages on my little barebone sloop are at times grueling. I just purchased a Capehorn steering vane, and all new, life raft, e-pirb, harnessess, double cliped, spot, ais, double reefing main, storm sail, drouge, all new sheet's, running rigging,on and on. we should be able to clip in and ride.

Start us a thread when you get back and tell us about your BFS. Also, I really want to hear about your Cape Horn gear! Tell us all about how it worked (or didn't) when you get back.

For a second there I thought this was gonna be a set up for a very morbid in-law joke.

Ya, Stand By for that. Sadly it's a bucket list thing for him. He's very healthy and will no doubt be around for decades to come, like his parents and theirs. But long ( 6 day or more ) passages on my little barebone sloop are at times grueling. I just purchased a Capehorn steering vane, and all new, life raft, e-pirb, harnessess, double cliped, spot, ais, double reefing main, storm sail, drouge, all new sheet's, running rigging,on and on. we should be able to clip in and ride.